Buckle



June 25, 1929. GUENTHER 4,718,291

BUCKLE Filed April 11, 1925 INVENTOR 1?. Cheat/ma BY ATTORNEY Patented June 25, 1929.

unrrn stares 1,718,291 ear-Eur OFFICE.

RAYMOND GUENTHER, OF PA'IERSSN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOE TO AMERICAN TELE- PHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BUCKLE.

Application filed April 11, 1 925.

This invention relates to an improvement in buckles and more particularly to an improvement in buckles for a telephone operators transmitter neckband.

a The buckle in general use heretofore consisted of a body part with three slots through which tape was pulled, forming a loop about one of the bars so that it could not slip. To thread this buckle the end of the tape had to l be successively passed up through the first slot, down through the second, up through the third, then down through the first again, and finally pulled taut. It said end of the tape was frayed, this became a difficult performance. Also, the prior form of buckle tended to unequally distribute the tension in the tape, concentrating said tension in the middle portion of the tape and thereby causing discomfort to the wearer.

The object of this invention is to provide a buckle in which the diiiiculty' of threading is eliminated, in which the tape may be easily and quickly adjusted without disconnecting said tape from the buckle, and in which the tension is distributed equally throughout the width of the tape.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing is a perspective view of the improved buckle; Fig. 2 shows the same buckle completely threaded with the tape except that said tape is not pulled taut; Fig. 3 shows the buckle and tape during the process of adjustment; and Figs. 4 and 5 represent modifications of the invention.

The buckle in Fig. 1 consists of the coupling hook 1 and the body part 2, said coupling hook and body part being of the same general design as employed in buckles of the prior art. The body part 2 has a narrow slot 4 3, and a wide slot 4. Said wide slot 4 has two projecting spurs 6 and 7, each extending toward the middle of the body part approximately one-third the distance from the left and right ends respectively of said slot.

In threading the buckle with the tape said tape is first folded at the proper distance from the end and the fold is passed through the narrow slot 3 for about two inches. This fold is next looped over one of the spurs 7 and gathered until the other side of the fold can be passed over the other spur. This stage of the operation of assembly is represented in the drawings by Fig. 2. The threading of the buckle is then completed by drawing the tape taut. It is evident from the above explana- Selial No. 22,481.

tion that the ease of assembly is not affected by the frayed or other condition of the end of the tape.

After the buckle has been once threaded, the tape may be adjusted from time to time as necessity or comfort requires. To lengthen the main portion A of the tape in Fig. 3, the free end or surplus portion B is pushed the necessary distance through the narrow slot 3, forming the loop C. The surplus portion B is then held firmly to prevent further slipping while the main portion A is being pulled taut. This completes the operation of adjustment. To shorten the tape a similar method of procedureis followed with the opposite portions of the tape.

A further improvement brought about by this new type of buckle is that the tension exerted in the tape is distributed more or less uniformly throughout the width of said tape. The old type tended to concentrate said tension in the middle portion of the tape and thereby to cause discomfort to the wearer, while in the improved type as embodied in this invention, the major portion of said tension is absorbed by the outer strands, permitting the. tape to more uniformly fit the neck of the wearer and consequently causing less discomfort.

Figs. 4 and 5 represent modifications of this invention. While the arrangements embodied in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are suflicient to meet the needs of a buckle used for a telephone operators transmitter neckband and other similar uses where no great amount of strain on the buckle and tape is required, the arrangements of Figs. 4 and 5 may be employed for purposes where the buckle and tape are subjected to a great amount of strain. Therefore, to prevent the loop under such circumstances from slipping off the spurs 1 and 2, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the lower edges of the said spurs are so made as to provide an uneven surface to said loop. This uneven surface may be in the form of a saw-toothed edge 3 and 4, as shown in Fig. 4, or in the form of tapered projections 3 and 4, as shown in Fig. 5.

t is to be understood that this invention, although disclosed in the particular arrangement herein set forth, is capable of be ing embodied in other widely different forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed is:

1 In a buckle, a body part having a narrow upper slot, a wide lower slot, two spurs and a hook-shaped arln extending from the lower end of said body part into a plane dif ferent from that of said body part and be ing positioned insubstantial alignment with the space betweenthe ends of said spurs, said spurs being in the same plane as said body part and projecting a substantial dis-- tance into said wide slot in a direction sub-- stantially lengthwise therewith, the lower edge of said spurs being of uneven surface 2. In combination, a buckle, the body part of which has a narrow slot and a wide slot, two spurs associated with said, body part so that said spurs are in the same plane as said body part and project into said wide slot a substantial distance from the sides of said body part, the lower edge of said spurs being of uneven surface, a coupling means which is in a plane ditlerent from that of said body part, and a tape, said tape being associated with said buckle so that the spurs associated with said body part hold the tape in a fixed position with respect to said body part. V

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to thisspecification this 9th day of April, 1925.

RAYMOND (i UENTHE R. 

